Near-midair collision shakes JetBlue passengers

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The FAA has opened an investigation into a JetBlue flight involved in a close call with another plane over Westchester County Airport.

About 1:45 p.m. Sunday, JetBlue Airways Flight 94 from Orlando was preparing to land at the airport when its pilots received a safety alert from air-traffic controllers about a plane in the vicinity, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

"Air-traffic controllers told the JetBlue pilot about a general aviation aircraft flying under visual flight rules about two miles southwest of the flight," the FAA said in a statement released late Thursday afternoon.

The JetBlue pilot of the Airbus A320, which seats about 150 people, saw the smaller aircraft in the distance and then climbed.

"After receiving an alert regarding a potential aircraft several miles away, the pilot adjusted its approach into Westchester County Airport and landed safely," JetBlue said in a statement, adding that it was cooperating with the FAA investigation.

The FAA said that since the smaller plane was operating under visual flight rules, it was not required to communicate with air-traffic controllers.

The incident left some on board the JetBlue flight shaken.

Passenger Megan Sikorski told WABC-TV that she was scared the planes were going to crash in midair.

"I'm looking out the window, and then this white airplane is now coming at our airplane," Sikorski told Eyewitness News. "I turned and buried myself in my mom's lap and grabbed the guy next to her. And our plane went up, and you could hear the whoosh of the other airplane underneath us."

Both aircraft landed safely, the FAA said.

The FAA did not release information about the other pilot or aircraft and did not immediately respond to questions. A spokeswoman for Westchester County said airport officials were aware of the incident but had few details.